Changing Seasons Can Affect A Survivor’s Outlook After Cancer

Bonnie Annis is a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2014 with stage 2b invasive ductal carcinoma with metastasis to the lymph nodes. Catch up on all of Bonnie's blogs here!

I love it when the seasons change, and the weather begins to cool down. I’ve found that the changing seasons affect both my energy and outlook. As the weather turns crisp and cool, I feel more energetic. During this time, I’m reminded I’m still alive and I’m grateful.

As I sat at my computer this morning, I gazed out over my wooded lot and marveled at the evidence of the changing seasons. Leaves on the trees are turning from a deep shade of green into various hues of orange, red, and brown. There is a brisk, cool breeze blowing and an air of anticipation in the wind. I can feel it. Autumn is here! My favorite time of year is when the mornings are cool, and the nights are scintillating. When fires in the fireplace and cups of hot chocolate are so very near, seasons — how I love them!

The Bible says, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

This season of my life seems to be a time of change. I'm no longer in the Spring of my life, the time when I would have considered myself young and vibrant, thriving. Neither am I in the Summer of my life, a time when I would be constantly on the move, going and doing. No, I'm in the Autumn of my life. Things that were once green and alive are in the process of changing and dying, like the sloughing off of unneeded and unnecessary layers. The transformation, though painful, hasn't necessarily been a bad thing. In fact, I think it's been rather good. This Autumn of my life has forced me to see things in a different light. Instead of feeling helpless and hopeless, I feel a sense of eagerness at something new on the horizon. It’s just like Sam Cooke's song, "A Change is Gonna Come." I feel a change coming. Something will soon be different in me.

My life has been so rich and so full. For 68 years, I've lived every single day to the fullest. I've made goals and dreamed dreams. I've grown and changed many times. First from childhood into adolescence, then from adolescence into adulthood. I've enjoyed being a wife, a mother, and a friend. I've experienced life as it's come full circle. I've watched grandchildren be born and older family members die. There have been seasons of joy and pain, but one isn't complete without the other. Seasons. Life keeps going. Cancer has helped change me and continues to refine me. I'm no longer the person I used to be. I am different now, but in a good way. I’ve realized this one life I’ve been given is truly magical, and if I let one day slip by without savoring it, I’ve done it a great injustice.

The seasons of life are just as important as seasons in nature. Spring brings a time of renewal and growth. Summer is a time for basking and playing, enjoying life with wild abandon. Fall is a time for shedding negativity and sloughing off unmet expectations, dropping old hurts, bitterness, and unforgiveness. It's a time of letting go. And Winter is a time of rest and renewal as we wait for the seasons to circle around again.

As a cancer survivor, it’s important to remember that nothing stays the same. Seasons change, and so do we. Each season brings gifts of its own; we must look for and unwrap them.

This piece reflects the author’s personal experience and perspective as a breast cancer survivor. For medical advice, please consult your health care provider.

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